Rocker screen vibrating machine with undulated screen cloth



March 7, 1961 J. F. CIBULA 2,973,865

ROCKERSCREEN VIBRATING MACHINE WITH UNDULATED SCREEN CLOTH Filed Sept.17, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Job n F Gin/1%,

March 7, 1961 clBULA 2,973,865

ROCKER SCREEN VIBRATING MACHINE WITH UNDULATED SCREEN CLOTH Filed Sept.1'7, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. F. CIBULA March 7, 1961 ROCKER SCREENVIBRATING MACHINE WITH UNDULATED SCREEN CLOTH Filed Sept. 17, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 35 R m m 0 m 0 w C F v H RN M mm J .h w. mm

ATTORNEY J. F. CIBULA 2,973,865'

ROCKER SCREEN VIBRATING MACHINE WITH UNDULATED SCREEN CLOTH March 7,1961 4 SheetsSheet 4 Filed Sept. 17, 1957 John FC/bu/a,

BY W M ATTORNEY United States Patent ROCKER SCREEN VIBRATING MACHINEWITH UNDULATED SCREEN CLOTH John F. Cibula, 609 W. Lemon St., Lancaster,Pa.

Filed Sept. 17, 19 57 Ser. No. 684,521 Claims. (Cl. 209-315)construction of undulated screen. employing an undulated screen clotharranged for directing the flow of material requiring classification ina manner for obtaining efiicient separation of the material and also thedewatering or repulping'of the materials requiring washing.

Another object of my invention is to provide .an im proved constructionof screen having a longitudinal section that is approximately sinusoidalin contour in combination with means for mounting and tensioning thescreen.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a' vibrating andseparating machine assembly which is dynamically balanced for minimizingthe applied power necessary to. impart vibratory movement to the screenof the assembly.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction ofvibrating mechanism for a separating and classifying machine in which aspring suspended screen assembly is subjected to a repeating vibratorycycle in a multiplicity of directions for effecting, a thoroughscreening and classification of materials deposited upon the screenassembly.

A still further object of my invention is to provide 'a multiple screenassembly for vibrating and separating machines where the vibratorymechanism is located within ously subjecting the screens to vibratorymovement for efiecting a thorough screening and classification operationupon materials passing through the screens.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in a multiple deckscreen assembly for vibrating and separating machines as set forth morefully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the screen assembly .and vibratingunit of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, the view showingthe discharge end of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the screening deck of thevibrating unit assembly showing on an enlarged scale the undulatedscreen cloth used in the gthe space between superimposed screensforsir'nultane- 2,973,865 Fatented Mar. 7, 1961 2 Fig; 1, showingparticularly the compression spring assembly; and g Fig. 8 is afragmentary longitudinal sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 5. 7

My invention is directed to an improved construction of dynamicallybalanced vibratory separating and classifying machine in which there areat least two superimposed vibratory screens each having an approximatelysinusoidal contour throughout the longitudinal section thereof. Thesinusoidal screens are mounted in a vibratory frame having a rocker andvibratory assembly located between the superimposed screens. The shapedcontour of each of the screens produces a riffie-fiow of the materialdeposited on the upper screen and sifted to the lower screen. Thescreens are formed in the undulated shape from cloth or wire mesh whichefficiently screens or separates, dewaters or repulps various sizes ofmaterials such as crushed stone, coal, sand, and other materialsrequiring processing. The frame of the machine of my invention pivotsupon rocker stub shafts located on the center of gravity of theframe,thereby providing symmetrical balance on each side of the stub shaft.The dynamic balancing of the machine results in conservation of powerrequired to drive the machine. The operating mechanism at the rear ofthe machine is compact and is formed from a minimum number of parts withlow inherent manufacturing costs and requiring minimum maintenance andrepair.

The riflie-flow multiple deck construction of the vibratory unit insuresthe efficient separation of various sizes of material by retarding theflow of the fines in the lowermost portions of the undulated surfaces ofthe screens while permitting larger sizes of materials to pass over thescreens. Thus the vibrating action tends to force the fines through thescreen openings thereby separating them from the larger sizes whichremain on the screen cloth and are discharged at the end of the machine.My invention involves a novel method of clamping the screen cloth to theupper and lower decks of the vibratory unit.

The double deck assembly is rockably suspended at its center on thestationary frame of the machine and is floatably mounted on front andrear compressionsprings at each end thereof. A motor is supported infixed relation to the stationary frame of the machine and drives a shaftjournalled on the machine frame. The shaft on the machine frame drivesan eccentric system connecting the vibratory frame of the machine forimparting cyclic vibratory movement to the double deck assembly inpatleast two directions, thus subjecting the two decks of undulatoryscreens to vibratory action for thoroughly and efliciently screening andseparating the materials deposited on the screens, the fines passingthrough the screens and oversize material passing over the screens andbeing discharged from the discharge ends thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 1 designatesthe stationary frame of the machine. This frame 1 may be mounted on asupporting structure In from below or suspended from an overheadstructure by means of cables. Where the frame 1 is mounted from below onsupporting structure In, the fines may be readily collected in a hopperbeneath the stationary frame 1 and the driving motor unit 2 may bereadily supported from the support-structure 1a on a suitable extensionbracket 1b, as shown. The driving motor 2 which is fixed with respect tostationary frame 1, drive sheave 3 carried by the eccentric shaft 4,journalled at the rear of the machine as shown more clearly in Figs. 5and 8. Power is transmitted to drive sheave 3 from motor 2, by suitablemeans such as the V-belt shown. The movement imparted to sheave 3revolves the eccentric shaft 4, mounted upon the pillow block bearings 5supported on stationary frame 1. The eccentric shaft 4 carries flywheel6 on the end thereof for insuring smooth operation and avoidingunbalanced rotation of eccentric shaft 4. The eccentric shaft 4transmits movement to eccentric bearing 7, which in turn transmits themotion to the eccentric rod 8, which coacts with the cam shaft 9,journalled in bracket 10, extending from the rear of the frame 11 of thevibrating unit. The vibrating unit 11, is a substantially rectangularframe formed by interconnected side plates 25, which are substantiallyof rhombic shape in side elevation as shown in Fig. l. The vibratingunit has an inclined end wall 11a at its rear extremity for facilitatingthe guiding of material deposited onto the vibrating unit. The vibratingunit 11 is dynamically balanced in position with respect to thestationary frame 1 on transversely aligned stub shafts 12 supported onstationary frame 1. The stub shafts 12 are fastened to the side plates25 of the vibrating unit 11 and project into the bearings 34 which arecarried by bearing supports 33 mounted on stationary frame 1. Thebearings 34 are secured in position with respect to bearing supports 33by means of clamping bolts 35. The stub shafts 12 which project fromopposite sides of the vibratory unit are fastened in side plates 25 asshown more clearly in Fig. 6 by means of the cap 37 which fits over theinner end of stub shaft 12 and is secured to the inside of side plate 25by means of clamping bolts 38 which pass through the annular flange ofcap 37 and through the exterior annular flange 39 that is fastened tostub shaft 12 by means of set screws 40. Since the center line of thestub shafts 12 is the center line of the axis of motion 15 and is alsoon the center line of the center of gravity 16 of the vibrating unit 11,the vibrating unit 11 is normally in perfect dynamic balance. Thevibrating unit 11 pivots or rocks back and forth on the stub shafts 12as power is forced against bracket through the eccentric system 4, 5, 6,7, 8, and 9, operating through bracket 10.

The vibrating unit 11 is initially set in its dynamically balancednormal position by floatingly suspending vibrating unit 11 on front andrear sets of compression springs shown at 13 and 14. The springs 13 and14 support the vibrating unit 11 with respect to the stationary frame 1.These springs 13 and 14 have sufiicientresilience so that they may bedisplaced from side to side as well as axially and serve to cushion thevibrating unit 11 and to return the vibrating unit to its initialposition as it is cyclically displaced under control of the eccentricsystem 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. That is to say, as coil springs 13 arecompressed coil springs 14 expand and vice versa in accordance with thedisplacement of the vibrating unit 11 and each increment of compressiveforce is accompanied by an opposite increment of a restoring forcetending to maintain the vibrating unit 11 in dynamic balance. Thestationary frame 1 is provided with upwardlyextending spring guides 41over which the open ends of the compression springs 13 and 14 fit. Theupper ends of these springs fit into upper spring guides 43 which dependfrom the bearing supports indicated at 44 and 44a. These bearingsupports provide mounting ends for compression lugs 45 and 451: whichextend into bushed bearings 46a screwed through the flange support andattached to the side plates 25 of the vibratory unit and secured inposition by lock nuts indicated in Fig. 7 at 48'. Both sides of thevibratory unit are symmetrical and similar reference characters havebeen used to indicate similar parts throughout the figures. The dynamicbalancing of the vibratory unit 11 insures that one end of the vibratoryunit counterbalances the other end when the unit is in motion with theassistance given to the several displacement forces by the sets ofcompression springs 13 and 14 and the motive power reduced to evenone-half of that which would normally be required to function a unit ofequal size but without the dynamic balancing provided .by my invention,a vibratory movement is maintained .4 which eificiently carries out theseparating functions accomplished by my invention.

Material is fed into the feed box or inclined chute 17 of the vibratoryunit 11 and is moved by the vibrating action to the undulated screencloth 18 at point 19 in Fig. 1. Since the screen cloth commences to riseslightly at this point 19, the vibration causes the material depositedon the screen to spread to both sides thereby decreasing the thicknessof the bed of material as it spreads over the surface of the screenpermitting the fines to be separated from the larger material and passthrough the openings of the screen cloth 18. Furthermore, the slightrise in the contour of the screen tends to retain the finer materialwhile permitting the larger sizes to pass over the crest of the rise 20which also improves the screening or separating efiiciency of thescreen. On the downward slope 21 of the undulated screen cloth, thelarger particles will move more rapidly due to the larger particlesbeing heavier and, with the assistance of the vibrating motion and theaction of the compression springs 13 and 14 the fines are separated andthe larger material is advanced along the screen. As the materialreaches the bottom of the curve 22 the velocity of movement is againreduced enabling the fine particles to pass the sceen openings. Thisaction is cyclically repeated throughout the length of the vibratingunit 11 until the oversize material passes the discharge lips of each ofthe screens shown at 50 and 51.

Figs. 3 and 4 more clearly disclose the method of installing theundulated screen cloth on the rocker screen vibrating frames. Eachvibrating frame includes a pcripheral clamping bar 23 which is the lowerclamping bar curved to form the undulations or sinusoidal contour forthe screen, the bar being welded rigidly to the inside of the sideplates 25 of the vibrating unit 11. There is also an upper clamping bar24 similar to the lower clamping bar 23 which is used to clamp and holdthe screen cloth 18 in place. I provide rubber friction straps 26 on thetop of the lower clamping bar 23 and on the bottom of the upper clampingbar 24 which tightly grip the screen cloth 18 in place with sufiicienttension applied by use of clamping bolt 27 to hold the screen cloth 18in place. There are longitudinal supports 28 within each screenstructure to provide three equal spaces between the interior of sideplates 25 and extending the full length of the screen and curved toprovide corresponding undulations for mounting the screen cloth 18.Rubber straps29 are provided on the longitudinal supports 28 to protectthe screen cloth 18 when stretched for the full length of the screen andfor avoiding possiblekinks or breakdowns in the screen cloth 18 whichmight be caused by the deposit of the material on the surface of thescreen. I also provide clamping straps 30 over the longitudinal supports28 to hold the screen cloth 18 in place. After the screen cloth 18 islocated in position the clamping straps 30 are placed over the screencloth above the longitudinal supports 28 and drawn down tightly by theclamping bolts 31. The metal cross bars 32 are welded into the lowerclamping bar 23 at each rise in the undulations to avoid kinks orbreakdowns and to maintain the rise in the undulations in the screencloth 18.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7 the vibrating unit consists offirst and second deck screens superimposed one over the other with themeans for imparting vibratory movement to the screens mounted betweenthe decks. Both the upper and lower deck screens are symmetrical andthese are mounted between the side plates 25 which are individuallysupported on aligned transverse axes through stub shafts 12. The screensare separately mounted between the side plates 25, the first deck screenbeing disposed above the vibratory mechanism and the second deck screenbeing disposed below the vibratory mechanism. In each instance thescreens have a longitudinal section which is approximately sinusoidal orundulatory. The first deck screen shown generally at 52 islongitudinally offset, Figs. 1 and 3, and dephased from the second deckscreen 53 thereby insuring a more thorough and complete treatment of thefines as they pass through the lowermost surface areas of the first deckscreen and before they gravitate upon the rising portion of the surfaceof the second deck screen. That is, the raised portions of thesinusoidal configuration of screen 52 are-laterally staggered withrespect to the raised portions of the sinusoidal configuration of screen53. The sifting action and the delivery of oversize particles is morecompletely accomplished by this echelon arrangement of the two screens.The oversize particles are collected in receptacles aligned with thedischarge lips 50 and 51 of the screens.

In the operation of the vibrating machine both fluid and agglomerate arefed into the machine over the first deck screen 52. Screen 52 is beingvibrated both upwardly and downwardly while being moved longitudinallyproviding a composite orbital path of movement. The dephased positionsof the superimposed undulated screens enables the material to be spreadover the surfaces of the screen at different velocities. As the materialreaches the lowermost portions of the curved surfaces in the first deckscreen the fines are released to gravitate to the second deck screen butstrike the second deck screen over a surface area whose curvature isdisplaced from the curvature of the upper deck screen thereby againsubjecting the material to a second screening resulting in the ultimatecollection of extremely fine fines and the grading away of larger sizeparticles which are discharged over the lip 51, for collection. Thus thelargest elements of the agglomerate are collected at discharge lip 50,the larger fines are collected at discharge lip 51, and the highlygraded fines are discharged to the hopper and collected therein withinthe support 1a below the machine.

Although I have shown two symmetrically arranged screens mounted in thevibratory frame, I have done this for illustrative purposes and do notdesire that my invention be interpreted as limited to a two deckstructure. I have constructed many elements embodying my inventionhaving a multiplicity of decks, such as four decks symmetricallydistributed in the vibratory frame above and below the journals by whichthe vibratory frame is pivotally mounted. Accordingly, wherever in theclaims I have referred to a pair of superimposed screens, I desire thatthis be interpreted to include more than one screen above and below thejournals of the frame.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferredembodiments, I realize that modifications may be made and I desire thatit be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intendedother than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. A separating machine for separating fines from agglomerate comprisinga supporting structure, a vibratory unit extending longitudinally ofsaid supporting structure and transversely journalled therein forvibratory movement, compression coil springs extending between saidsupporting structure and positions adjacent opposite ends of saidvibratory unit for floating said vibratory unit in a plane inclined fromthe upper end to the lower end thereof in said supporting structure, aninclined chute attached to the upper end of said vibrating unit, a

' bracket centrally disposed beneath said chute, means on saidsupporting structure and connected with said bracket for cyclicallyimpressing vibrations on said vibratory unit, said means and saidbracket all being arranged immediately adjacent the upper end of saidunit and substantially beneath said inclined chute and withinthedimensional limits of the rearward extension of the inclined chute ofsaid vibratory unit and screen structure carried by said vibratory unitfor receiving agglomerate and finesat the upper end of said unit forseparating the fines from the agglomerate and discharging theagglomerateat the lower end of the vibratory unit.'

2. A separating-machine for separatingfines from agglomerates comprisinga supporting structure, a stationary frame mounted in an inclinedplane'on said structure, bearings supported in transversely alignedpositions substantially midway of said stationary frame, a vibratoryunit extending longitudinally-between said bearings colineally ofsaid'frame structure and having stub shafts extending from the oppositeexternal sides of said vibratory unit and journalled in said bearings,an inclined chute connected with the upper end of said vibratory unitand extending rearwardly therefrom spring means extending betweenpositions adjacent opposite ends of said vibratory unit and said framestructure, drive means mounted adjacent one end of said stationaryframe, eccentric means interconnecting said drive means and saidvibratory unit for imparting vibrations from said drive means to saidvibratory unit, said eccentric means being located substantially beneathsaid inclined chute of said vibratory unit and adjacent the upper end ofsaid vibratory unit and substantially sinusoidal screen structurecarried by said vibratory unit and inclined in substantially the sameinclined plane as the inclined plane of said stationary frame forreceiving agglomerate and fines adjacent the upper end of said unit andseparating the fines from the agglomerate under vibratory action of saidvibratory unit and discharging agglomerate from the lower end of thevibratory unit.

3. A separating machine for separating fines from agglomerates as setforth in claim 2 in which said substantially sinusoidal screen structurecomprises a pair of spaced superimposed screens one of which is locatedabove the said bearings and the other of which is located below the saidbearings with an unobstructed screening area located between saidscreens, said screens being undulated in the longitudinal sectionsthereof for presenting declining and rising surfaces to the fines andagglomerates deposited thereover.

4. A separating machine for separating fines from agglomerates as setforth in claim 2 in which said vibratory unit includes a pair of spacedside plates each of which supports one of said stub shafts, said stubshafts being journalled in said bearings and wherein said sub vibrationabout a central transverse pivot, an inclined chute connected with theupper end of said vibratory frame and extending rearwardly therefrom, apair of screens carried by said vibratory frame, resilient meanssupporting opposite ends of said frame with respect to said supportingstructure one of said screens being disposed above said pivot and theother of said screens being located below said pivot, said screens eachhaving a longitudinal section which is substantially sinusoidal topresent declining and rising adjacent surfaces to fines and agglomeratesdeposited on the screens, the said surfaces of said screens beinglongitudinally offset from each other with respect of said pivot and thedeclining and rising adjacent surfaces of one of the screens beinglaterally staggered with respect to the declining and rising adjacentsurfaces of the other of said screens and means mounted on saidsupporting structure and beneath said inclined chute immediatelyadjacent the upper end of said vibratory frame and within the limits ofa vertical plane extending downwardly from the rearward limit of saidinclined chute for imparting vibratory movement thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 8Sturtevant et a1. Mar. 22, 1904 Mess et a1. June 7, 1938 Ramsey Dec. 24,1940 Smith Sept. 16, 1941 Parks May 1, 1945 Johnson Nov. 18, 1958FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1893

